2014 MFAC Good Government Awards

The 34th annual Good Government Awards are sponsored by the Municipal Fiscal Advisory Committee (MFAC), a project of SPUR. For 33 years, these awards have recognized outstanding performances by managers working for the City and County of San Francisco. These awards represent a unique opportunity to acknowledge San Francisco’s top managers for their leadership, vision and ability to make a difference both within City government and the community at large.

Douglas Legg is being honored for 15 years of results-oriented service to the Department of Public Works (DPW). Legg oversaw development of the 2011 Road Repaving and Street Safety Bond, a $248 million funding initiative that has repaved 854 city blocks to date. Most recently he ushered in DPWStat, a tool for construction schedules, street cleaning, building and sidewalk repairs, and trash receptacle complaints. The work of the budget and finance division of DPW, which Legg heads, benefits every Public Works bureau, including construction management, sewer repairs, street cleaning and job training. Legg has successfully navigated San Francisco’s complicated and contentious budget process with integrity, sound policy arguments and political deftness.

Zoon Nguyen led the Office of the Assessor-Recorder during a crucial time of transition, serving as interim assessor-recorder from the election of 2012 to February 2013. During that time, she inspired collective responsibility within all divisions to develop a budget and set priorities for the year ahead. Nguyen’s team of 37 records 300,000 documents annually, working directly with 30,000 San Francisco businesses. The team recently increased regular assessments by $341 million. When the federal court announced the resumption of same-sex marriages in California on a Friday, she organized staff and volunteers to keep the office open throughout the weekend, resulting in approximately 500 same-sex marriage licenses issued that weekend.

Lisa Wayne was chosen for leading San Francisco’s initiative to effectively manage and care for its 32 designated Natural Areas, which consists of 868 acres of parkland within the city. She has been the lead architect and visionary of the Recreation and Park Department’s Natural Areas Program since 1997. Lisa developed the programmatic framework and hired the staff that now expertly stewards these areas for the city and its residents. She has led efforts to restore and develop several urban trails, preserve and cultivate 10,000 native plants, create a large and loyal volunteer corps contributing $4.7 million in volunteer hours and develop the Significant Natural Resource Areas Management Plan designed to guide the management of the city’s Natural Areas.

The Fire Rim Emergency Response Team within the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is being honored for its strategic approach and rapid response to the third largest wildfire in California history, the 2013 Rim Fire. Mary Ellen Carroll, Daniel Lehr, Thomas Siragusa and Cheryl Taylor collaborated to ensure the resiliency of the city’s threatened facilities including the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power System, a major electrical switchyard, an extensive road system and, most critically, the water supply for 2.6 million Bay Area residents and businesses. Together, they planned effectively for a fast emergency response, properly coordinated with the Unified Incident Command and managed the financial documentation in order to recover from insurers a maximum amount of the $37 million in damages to city assets.

The Legal Educational Advocacy Program Team in the Public Defender’s Office receives an award for improving educational outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system, thus curbing the cycle of young people who go back into the system. The team —Patricia Lee, Marynella Woods, Lauren Brady Blalock and Marc Babus — works directly with San Francisco youth, makes regular court appearances on behalf of young clients and trains parents and caregivers to advocate effectively for their children. Of the youth who have gone through the program, fewer than 13 percent reoffend six to 12 months after exiting. The 3-year old program continues to work toward the greater goal of reducing the disproportionate number of youth of color in the justice system overall.